Unlike other colleges at the time, Black Mountain gave art classes equality to those of other subjects, and for the newcomers the arts were given priority. The college followed a rather holistic approach, through which students not only learned information, but also learned how to practically apply the information into their lives. The college also used education as a means of instilling values and emotional maturity, as well as preparing students for life. Initiative, independence, and the ability to make intelligent, discriminating decisions were major requirements at Black Mountain. Education and life were no longer to be viewed as separate entities, and false goals and motivations were to be eliminated. At Black Mountain, the quality of education was more important than the quantity.
Times at Black Mountain College were much less magical than had been anticipated. A major problem was that of enrollment. Many students were very interested in attending the college. Their parents on the other hand were skeptical of the fact that the school was expensive, unaccredited, and did not offer a degree. Another problem that faced the school was its multi-cultural faculty. The faculty consisted of eighteen members, seven of which were Jewish and German refugees. This brought great diversity to the campus, but this diversity was not limited to teaching methods. There were many conflicting views and opinions as to how the school should be run, and this led to much animosity throughout the campus community. .
The predominantly northern and foreign faculty was also an issue to the local people. The locals were not inviting of strangers, or of people with opinions that differed from theirs. The students and faculty at Black Mountain were both. This caused much conflict. Although the democratically operated college took an apolitical standpoint, it quickly acquired a Communist reputation, both externally and within.
